Leighton Meester on 'I Love LA' and Toxic Work Environments
Leighton Meester plays Alyssa, a typical LA publicist and the boss of Maia (Rachel Sennott) in the HBO series I Love LA. While her own real-life publicist experiences weren't shown, other aspects of the story resonated deeply with her.
Experiencing Toxic Workplaces
Meester opened up about having been in toxic work environments before. She connected this to the complicated relationship between Maia, who aims for a promotion, and Alyssa, her boss. She said:
"I've been in toxic work environments. I think that a lot of people have experienced that, being around people who sort of... I don't know, just, like, you have a boss that maybe doesn't uplift you, or whatever."
Conversation with Josh Hutcherson
During an interview with PEOPLE, Meester was joined by Josh Hutcherson, who also stars in the series. Hutcherson expressed surprise at her candidness about difficult bosses:
"In this industry, that's happened to you?"
Meester responded,
"It's shocking."
Finding Safety Through Comedy
Despite the difficult subject, Meester found working on I Love LA a healing experience. She described the toxic workplace theme as:
"Really fun to play with in a safe, comedic environment."
This safety allowed her to fully embrace and enjoy the role's challenges.
Summary
Leighton Meester reflects on her past toxic work environments and appreciates the safety and humor in portraying such dynamics on I Love LA.
Author’s note: Leighton Meester's experience highlights the power of comedy to safely explore and process toxic work dynamics.